The First Team’s defeat against High Wycombe at London Road last weekend had a dead rubber feel about it. With AJ Woodland and the Gumbs brothers unavailable, the First Team took the opportunity to give some more younger players an opportunity.

The early action of the day saw the visitors defeat the First Team 2-0 in full 11-a-side game of football in the warm-up and unfortunately it was a sign of things to come. Charlie Macdonell won the toss and elected to bat first, but unfortunately the decision backfired as the First Team slipped to 10-3 with Scott Rolfe, Michael Payne and Macdonell all dismissed without scoring. David Burnell (17) and Steve Clark (33) rebuilt the innings, but another collapse saw the First Team slip to 71-7.

Rory Criddle (33) and Andy Harris (27) who was playing in his final game for the club put together a partnership of 52 as they took the score past 120. The First Team were eventually bowled out for 131 in 44 overs. Simon Stanway dismissed Eliot Callis second ball of High Wycombe’s innings, but that was the First Team’s only wicket as Lloyd Paternott (86) and Dan Marles (37) saw the visitors to the target inside 17 overs.

The First Team had won their three previous games to secure safety in the Home Counties Premier League and the team stayed and celebrated into the night with a couple of players putting in exceptional performances in the annual club new player dance-off.

CREDITABLE FOURTH PLACE FINISH FOR SECONDS

The Second Team finished the season with a third consecutive defeat as they lost to Amersham by 93 runs.

But the main aim of the game was achieved and that was to gain the one point needed for mathematical safety. There was a good deal of playing and missing early on by the Amersham openers and it only looked like a matter of time before there would be an edge. And sure enough it came in the seventh over when Chris Owen was caught behind by James Hawkes off Nick Grant’s bowling.

Grant capped a good opening spell to take two more early wickets and reduce Amersham to 36-3 and make him top wicket-taker for the season. But that there was no more success for some time as Amersham piled on the runs. The next wicket fell at 96, but the next at 309 as Dan Colquhoun punished the Second Team bowling with a brutal 179 from 121 balls.

Toby Wastling chopped and changed the bowling but with little success as the runs still flowed. Eventually he turned to Ali Partner whose economy was no better but he did take three wickets in the final over, including that of Colquhoun, to bring up a tally of five bowling points.

The 324 needed for victory was unlikely, so after a quick check of the League table, the aim was to score 175 and reach the five batting points needed to finish the season ahead of Amersham. In the end the maximum six points were achieved mainly thanks to a fine innings of 96 from Sanjoy Bassi and thanks to some very handsome shots he found the boundary eleven times.

It seemed that the points tally would secure third place until the news of Kidmore End’s improbable victory against Eversley arrived which saw them sneak ahead of the 2s. But following promotion last season, a fourth place is very creditable.

DEAD RUBBER DEFEAT FOR THIRD TEAM

This final game of the season was a was a dead rubber with hosts Taplow already clinching the League title while our Third Team had avoided relegation. The toss was won by the hosts and they decided to bat. Taplow were 231 all out from 41 overs with James Darraugh the pick of the bowling with his 6-43 taken from his six overs including two wickets in two ball as the leg spinner teased the batsmen with bounce and spin. The wicket also played it’s part with some indifferent bounce causing wicket-keeper Josh Camm some tricky moments.

The Third Team’s batting started poorly with regularly wickets falling and only flickered through the veteran Alan Sheppard and captain Mark Bater who shared a 70 run partnership. Eventually the Third Team were bowled out for 155, which was disappointing considering the run of results that the Third Team had in final weeks of the summer.

FOURTH TEAM FINISH FOR SUMMER

And so another season closes, somehow it's already September and the Fours ended their season with a home game against Hayes. The Fourth team went into the game with an interesting balance of seven juniors and the youngest Adult aged 52.

Captain Andy Grout won the toss and elected to bat. Chairman and opening batsman Nick Wake again played nicely as he scored 46 as the Fourth Team well placed at 75-1. But despite a couple of further batsmen getting in, including Harry Grinham who made 21, wickets started to tumble. Hayes needed a win to confirm promotion, and their bowling attack showed why they deserve promotion as the Fourth Team slipped from 100-2 to 146-9 in their 45 overs.

The Fourth Team bowled as well as they had all summer and at 62-3 Hayes were in a bit of trouble. Under 13 Alex Davies bowled an impressive five overs for just nine runs, but Hayes had a strong batting line up and got over the line with four wickets down.

So ended another season. Lots of juniors have shown great promise and this bodes well for next year.

The end of season drinks were as ever entertaining and as the the last notes of "Sweet Caroline " drifted on the breeze the younger element were heading off in Taxis to Aylesbury. Sadly the Fours we're either too old or too young to join them.